This and he even voted for Labor, once!Abbott began public life as a journalist for The Bulletin, an influential news magazine, and The Australian Newspaper. While deciding his future career path, Abbott had developed friendships in the NSW Labor Party right and was encouraged by Labor's Johno Johnson and ministers in the Unsworth Government, including Bob Carr, to join the Labor Party and run for office. Abbott was uncomfortable with the role of Unions in the party however and wrote in his biography that ultimately Labor "just wasn't the party for me". For a time he was a plant manager for Pioneer Concrete before becoming press secretary to the Liberal Leader of the Opposition, Dr John Hewson from 1990 to 1993 and working on the Fightback! policy. Between 1993 and 1994 he was the Executive Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM). According to biographer Michael Duffy, Abbott's involvement with ACM "strengthened his relationship with John Howard [of the Liberal Party], who in 1994 suggested he seek pre-selection for a byelection in the seat of Warringah."
Despite his conservative leanings, Abbott has acknowledged he voted for Labor in the 1988 NSW state election as he thought "Barrie Unsworth was the best deal Premier that New South Wales had ever had." Nevertheless, Abbott then clarified that he has never voted for Labor in a federal election
I don't feel so bad for once voting Labor myself now.
And It was my own experience with Labors unions over the AWU ATS affair that tainted my perspective on Labor also.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Abbott
If Tony Abbott is so bad, by Labors own admission, then why is it they wanted him to join their party, this and run for office at one stage?
I don't recall Julia Gillard receiving any invitations from the opposition to join their ranks, and understandably so.
I'm sure she got an invitation or two to join the Australian Communist Party however.